Helsinki Animal Activities: Zoo and Forest
Helsinki Animal Activities: Zoo and Forest
Snow leopards, wolverines and brown bears live on a Baltic island you reach by metro and tram. That zoo is the core of animal activities in Helsinki, and beyond it the options are forest and island walks where animals are a bonus, not a promise. Prices are in euros.
Korkeasaari Zoo
Korkeasaari opened in 1889 on a 22-hectare island, which places it among the oldest zoos in the world. The collection leans towards animals of cold climates and high ground, so expect wolverines, forest reindeer, European brown bears, Amur tigers and snow leopards. Two tropical houses, Africasia and Amazonia, give you somewhere warm to retreat to on a cold day.
Tickets are priced by date. Adults pay about €22 to €29, children from nothing up to about €20, and students and seniors about €17 to €22. The zoo is open every day of the year, with hours that move with the season; in early October it opened from 10:00 to 16:00. Check both on korkeasaari.fi before you set out.
The usual route is the metro to Kalasatama, then tram 13 to the Nihti stop and a walk across the Finkensilta bridge. The new Crown Bridges opened in 2026 and a zoo tram stop is expected late in 2026, so look at the HSL journey planner on the day.
Verdict: Korkeasaari is worth a half day in any season, and it suits winter better than most zoos because its animals come from cold places.
Reindeer and huskies
The forest reindeer at Korkeasaari are the easiest reindeer to see near Helsinki. Wild reindeer, husky sledding and snowmobile treks belong to Lapland, roughly a night’s train ride north to Rovaniemi. If those are the animals you came for, plan a separate trip of two or three nights rather than hoping to fit them into a city break.
Nuuksio National Park
Nuuksio, in Espoo, is spruce forest, granite gorges and clear lakes about an hour from the centre by train and bus. It is a place for walking, not an animal attraction: there are no enclosures or feeding points, and any sighting is luck. The Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, on the way in, is a good starting point, and the marked loops of 2 km and 4 km keep a visit short. Routes and transport are on luontoon.fi . If you would like a guide to point things out, look at Nuuksio day trips on GetYourGuide .
Seurasaari island
Seurasaari, reached by bus 24 and a wooden footbridge, is a forested island park that is free to walk all year. Its open-air museum of 87 old wooden buildings opens only from 15 May to 15 September, but the island itself stays open outside that season. It makes a calm hour outdoors rather than an animal outing.
Practical notes
Between late autumn and early spring the zoo’s paths, bridges and the walk from the tram can be icy, so wear boots with a deep tread. Pack a refillable bottle, since Helsinki’s tap water is excellent, and a card or phone is enough to pay for everything.
Read more: Helsinki family activities pairs the zoo with the Suomenlinna ferry and the Oodi library.
Tip: check the zoo’s price for your exact date online before you go, because it changes from day to day.